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Kostelic under the knife for MCL

By Hank McKee – Senior Editor

February 13, 2012

A second MRI conducted in Basel, Switzerland this morning (Feb. 13) confirmed World Cup tour leader Ivica Kostelic has a partial tear of his right knee meniscus. He has undergone surgery.

The Croatian racing star damaged the knee during the slalom leg of Sunday’s (Feb. 12) World Cup combined at Sochi, Russia in a test event for the 2014 winter Olympics. He said he felt a click in his knee early in the run, but continued, actually winning the event. At the bottom of the course he could not straighten out his right leg and was in visible pain climbing onto the winner’s platform for the awards ceremony. He was whisked away for an initial MRI at a local hospital, which proved negative, then flew directly to Switzerland. An additional MRI confirmed the tear and he was immediately scheduled for surgery.

Kostelic has had multiple surgeries on his knees and is also hampered by a damaged back.

The 32 year old is the defending World Cup overall champion and is currently leading this season’s circuit.

By taking the win at Sochi he won the season’s first World Cup discipline title, in combined. It is his fourth career discipline title in addition to winning last season’s overall crown.